


A Series of Fortunate Misfortunes

by Lolobaoos



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Hogwarts Prefects' Bathroom, Library Sex, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Making Love, Nightmares, Post-War, Shower Sex, Some Plot, Truth or Dare, Verbal Abuse, pretty much writing what comes to mind, tons of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-06-02 11:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19440628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lolobaoos/pseuds/Lolobaoos
Summary: After returning to Hogwarts in an act of sheer hopelessness, Harry finds himself struggling to adapt to the school's new policies. And after more than a few moments of utter humiliation, he comes face to face with an entirely different problem- Is he really going to go about his school year with none other than Draco Malfoy at his side?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! It's Lo here!! I really hope you guys enjoy this little beginning to a (most likely) huge piece of work. I have an idea of where I want this fic to go, but I don't exactly know how I will go about it yet. 
> 
> Also I wanted to let you guys know that the laptop that I have all of my work saved to did, in fact, break last night (I'm writing this from my phone) and I should be getting a new one tomorrow. I will try to post a new chapter every one or two days but I'm not going to make any promises yet. 
> 
> Well, anyway, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!! :)

“Criminal hearing, thirteenth of August. Draco Lucius Malfoy, you have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law Enforcement for the heinous crime of being a well-known member of the murderous, criminal gang- the Death eaters.” Scrimgeour paused to glance up at the chair in front of him. “Interrogators: Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister for Magic. Dolores Jane Umbridge, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Percy Ignatius Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Witness for the Defense, Harry James Potter.”

Whispers and gasps echoed across the lustrous walls of Courtroom Ten as Harry stepped through the entrance, arms crossed behind his back with the same grace and confidence that Dumbledore brought with him the morning that Harry had his hearing back in fifth year. Courtroom Ten had remained the same since that day. It was home to the same glossy, black walls and tall ceiling that stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Bursts of fear and fury travelled up Harry’s spine at the sight. The only thing keeping him from lashing out again was the reminder that it was not him sitting in front of the jury, it was none other that his arch-nemesis, Draco Malfoy.

The Malfoy positioned in the chair looked stiff and unkempt. He was dressed in impeccable black robes that pooled in an elegant pile beside his feet. His once arrogant expression was replaced by a mask of impenetrable impassiveness that took the life from his sunken eyes. Hollow cheeks and pale, grey skin now covered his face with shame and embarrassment. Harry felt nothing for the boy in front of him.

When Harry had heard of the hearing that was to be held today, he impulsively declared himself a witness. People questioned his motives to defend Draco Malfoy, but it came down to one thing and one thing only- that Malfoy, the arrogant schoolboy that Harry despised, had dug himself too deep. Just like Harry. 

Ron had tried to convince him that Malfoy was just as guilty of being a death eater as Voldemort himself. Although, his mind was already set on gain back any semblance of the days when Potion homework and petty school rivalry were the biggest of his issues. He supposed that helping Malfoy and proving that he was held accountable for actions that he had no say over wouldn’t help bring back the past, but Harry was already standing in front of the most important people at the Ministry. He was ready to defend Malfoy with his life even if that meant being shunned by the whole wizarding world itself.

“Draco Malfoy. Do you or do you not hold yourself accountable for participating in activities relating to or part of the Death Eaters?”

Malfoy lifted his head slowly to meet Scrimgeour’s eyes, the chains bounding him to the chair shifting and rubbing together.

“I do.” 

His voice was low and worn, and anyone who cared enough could hear the call of sheer hopelessness in his vocal chords. 

“Do you, Draco Malfoy, admit to associating and being loyal to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?”

“I do.”

“Mr. Potter, you may now speak in defense of the accused.” At that moment, Heads turned and eyes stared expectantly at him, waiting for him to start speaking.

“I- er- well,” Harry sighed. Get it Together Harry! You’re making a fool of yourself. With a deep breath, he began to speak. “When Malfoy appeared at The Ministry three days ago, anyone with half a brain would have understood that no, he was not there to turn himself in. He was there as a plea for help. He risked his own life to-”

“He-Hem,” Umbridge interrupted, “How very silly of me assume this, but it sounded, for a teensy weensy second, like you were accusing the Ministry of not understanding that what Mr.Malfoy did was a call for attention.” Not again. 

“No ma’am, all I was saying was that-”

“That the ministry is too ignorant to understand that what Mr.Malfoy did and the motives behind said actions?” Her chin was held high in the air with an expression of superiority coating her face.

“Not at all, ma’am. I am simply stating that Malfoy had no say in the crimes he was forced to commit. Even then, most of them he wasn’t able to carry out. You see, he was simply dug a hole too deep to jump out of. He was branded with a mark of Dark Magic against his will, and he did what he was told to do in order to protect his own life. When he was getting involved with You-Know-Who, he was simply too young to understand at the time what he was getting himself into. Just look at him. Look what The Dark Lord did to him. How would you feel if you were in his shoes, forced against your will to do terrible things and then risking your life to distance yourself from You-Know-Who, only to be treated like death eater scum when trying to make things right again.”

Not all of this was true. Malfoy had appeared at the ministry and allowed them to take him into custody. He was then questioned, and when he still didn’t speak, locked up in a cell in the auror department and assigned a court date. He never tried to make things right.

“Do you have any proof of your claims that Mr.Malfoy was not able to carry out orders assigned by The Dark Lord?”

He did, in fact, think of one thing. One thing that was for sure something he couldn’t carry out himself. “Yes, Your Honor, I do.” He took a deep breath and steadied the tremor in his voice.

Harry launched into the story of Dumbledore’s death with a slight nervous twitch in his left leg. He explained the pained look of fear on Malfoy’s face and how he couldn’t finish the job. He was slightly surprised at a few things, though. One being how his voice barely cracked as he tried to hide the lump in his throat, and two being how Malfoy seemed to be unsurprised by the realization that Harry was there watching him the whole time that night and he didn’t even know it. 

Once Harry had finished, a hush fell over the courtroom. He supposed they would understand how emotional he was in that moment, reliving that night that only took place several months ago. And yet, Harry still stood his ground and looked Scrimgeour in the eyes. 

He looked unsure of what to think. “Mr.Malfoy, do you confirm this claim?”

It took a short moment for Malfoy to acknowledge that someone was speaking to him, and when he did, he lifted his chin slowly until his gaze met with Scrimgeour’s.

“I do.” He whispered as the last ounce of life was drained from his eyes.

Harry wanted to say something. He wanted to assure Malfoy that he’d be okay. Afterall, they were quite similar. They both were just boys, too young to take it all seriously. Only when they bit off more than they could chew did they realize the seriousness of the situation.

“Thank you, Mr.Potter. You may now exit the courtroom.”

“Of course, Your Honor.” Harry said quickly as the whirl of emotions fogged up his mind.

And with a few loud footsteps, Harry had shut the door, leaving the eerie silence to invade his head.


	2. Homesick at Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm absolutely thrilled at the positive feedback I got from the prologue! I'm new here so I'm still getting used to things but I think it turned out well. Also, please leave criticism!!! I'm wishing to improve my writing skills and every bit counts.
> 
> I have some good news! I got a new laptop and I'm very glad that all of my writing was saved!!!! I was worried that all of my progress would be deleted but luckily I got it back.
> 
> Also, some people were asking about Harry's motives behind lying about Draco in chapter one. First of all, I absolutely adore how observant you guys are! And I'm glad you noticed, because I actually had a hard time deciding whether or not to add the part about Harry lying. I guess I just wanted the readers to infer that Harry already had a soft spot for Draco before he even realized it himself. This part actually has involvement later in the story and I can't wait until it's revealed. <3
> 
> Enjoy Chapter 2!

“Harry Potter! How kind of you to join us this evening,” Voldemort’s red, beady eyes shot lazors into his. 

Harry knew this part well. Voldemort would kill him and he’d meet Dumbledore in Kings Cross Station again. Dumbledore would then tell him that he needed to do what was right and wake up. 

With the same instinctive panic as the many times he had stood before Voldemort before, he took a few tentative steps towards the gathering of Death Eaters in the clearing. Hagrid yelled in the back somewhere as he prayed that it would end just like the other times he had been in this situation- He’d wake up with a cold sweat and then wander the castles corridors until morning.

“Avada Kedavra!” Voldemort screamed, wand held at eye level.

Kings station was the same. Harry felt calm and collected as he waited until Dumbledore appeared right behind him. It was almost like a routine now. But minutes seemed to pass and Harry was still alone. He fiddled with the stitching on his trousers and focused on his breathing. Ten minutes. The silence was unbearable. Thirty minutes. Something moved out of the corner of his eye. An hour.

“I killed Sirius Black!” Bellatrix’s haunting voice echoed throughout the station.

“I killed Sirius Black!” Harry spun around in trepidation to find no sign of movement.

“I killed Sirius Black!” There it was again. Where was she? Bellatrix is dead.

“I killed him.” She whispered this in Harry’s ear, causing him to whip around with a scream. Where was she?

“You’re not real!” He screamed, but as he had learned before, his thoughts had no voice. No sound came out of his mouth.

“You’re-,” His eyelids became heavy. “Not-” He lost his breath. “Real-” The last one came as a whimper before he started falling through the floor in a void of white.

“Harry!” They called but he still continued to fall, deeper and deeper. “Harry!”

Harry looked around him. He was in his bed. Neville, Ron, Seamus, and Dean stood around him. “Harry! Are you okay? Should I get Professor McGonagall?” Neville squeaked.

The moment Harry realized it was only another dream startled him. He had never had that one before. “Yea. I’m alright.”

“You were screaming and kicking! I thought something was really wrong!” Ron rolled his eyes and trudged back to his bed to sit down.

“Yea, I’m fine. It was just a dream.” Harry pushed the covers aside and stood up. “I just need to take a walk.”

Neville stepped in his way before Harry could protest. “But Harry, I’m Head Boy. I can’t let you out after hours!”

“Just pretend you were asleep when I snuck out.” Harry said as he walked past Neville and bumped into his shoulder. He didn’t care to even listen to what they had to say. He was going to take his walk anyway.

Harry grabbed his map and cloak in one hand and his wand in the other. The common room was dark, as the fire was now burning out and barely emitted any light. The portrait squeaked slightly as he opened it, but he was careful not to wake anyone else up.

His map informed him that Mrs.Norris was just ahead, blocking the stairs down to the rest of the castle. Of course he could always head towards the upper levels of the castle, but every time he ventured that far up, he found himself bombarded by memories from during the war. 

The war had definitely left an imprint on Hogwarts. The Great Hall and main staircases looked exactly the same as before the war even began. But, the upper level corridors and rooms were so damaged by dark magic that there was only so much anyone could do to fix it. Some corridors looked completely spotless, but as Harry walked through them, he could feel the threads of dark magic that was inscribed in the walls.

This was one of the reasons why Harry was hesitant to come back to Hogwarts for his eighth year. The memories and reminders were almost too much to bear. A lot of lives were taken during the war, and it only made it worse to come back to the place where they once walked the halls.

Another reason was that Hogwarts no longer felt like home. Harry fought so hard to try and pretend that he looked at Hogwarts the same way as he did before the war even happened, but this became harder and harder to do. After Headmistress McGonagall declared herself head of the school, she made some odd changes in customs that lead Harry to feel even more Homesick than before.

Headmistress McGonagall decided that the best way to mend broken edges was to make Hogwarts a more diverse school. Students from other countries and cultures were now accepted at Hogwarts. Students from Beauxbatons and Ilvermorny were sorted into houses and now swam throughout the halls and crowded the Great Hall during meals. McGonagall also wanted to create unity between houses. The Tables in the Great Hall were no longer assigned by houses. Instead, The m any smaller, circular tables allowed students from different houses to bond and make new friends. Although most of the students still stuck to tables with students from mostly their own house.

\---

Harry had wondered back to Gryffindor Tower sometime right before dawn. Ron and Hermione tried to talk to him about what happened the night before, but Harry refused to say another word on the subject. They eventually gave up on trying and Hermione ended up pestering him and Ron about the 60 centimeter Herbology essay due later than day.

“Well don’t give me a hard time when you fail your NEWTs!” She said as they walked into the Great Hall.

They ended up sitting at the same table that they had sat at since the beginning of the school year just a month ago. There was an unspoken agreement between houses that certain tables were reserved for certain groups. Like theirs.

“Hello Harry, Neville!” Luna interrupted just as everyone settled into their seats. “Would you mind if I sat here for today? It seems that Hufflepuff has taken my table as their own.” 

Harry looked over at the table that Luna usually sat at. She ate her meals all alone at that one table, although she seemed perfectly content doing so. Several times he had asked her to join them at their table, but she declined saying that she was fine.

“Of course, Luna! About time you join us.” Neville cut in. He scooted towards Dean in order to create a space between him and Harry so Luna could fit.

“I’m not too fond of the seating arrangements this year.” Luna said to start a conversation.

“Why’s that?” Harry asked.

“Because I was just kicked from my table so the seventh year Hufflpuffs could all sit together. Second year Ravenclaws took their table.”

Harry looked over to find that the second year Ravenclaws did, in fact, take the seventh year Hufflepuff’s table because some fourth year Gryffindors ended up taking theirs. But that meant the eighth year Slytherins were table-less, but they hadn’t even come in the great hall yet.

“Luna,” Harry continued with concern, “Where do you suppose the eighth year Slytherins will sit?”

Before anyone could reply, the eighth year Slytherins came sauntering into the Great Hall. Their group only consisted of four people, but they were allowed a table of their own since everyone else was too intimidated to sit with them.

The only empty table was right beside theirs, so that meant that they would be sitting next to Harry’s least favorite people today. Each group minded their own business, but the tension between the tables was still there.

As the Slytherins were getting situated, Pansy Parkinson shot Harry a glare, who was absently staring at the table with wide eyes. Parkinson looked almost exactly the same. Her black head of hair was cut into a short bob and he curvy figure was accentuated in her tailored robes. Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott sat next to her, and on the very end, Draco Malfoy.

Harry had barely acknowledged Malfoy since they had returned to Hogwarts after the war. Both of them simply acted like the other didn’t exist. A few times Harry had run into him in the hallway and gave him a nod but they simply just went on their way as if it never happened.

Sometimes Harry had wondered if he should mention the hearing that happened a year ago, but the topic was touchy and he didn’t care enough to pick a fight with Malfoy. At least Harry knows that his effort to declare Malfoy innocent worked and he was allowed to return to Hogwarts under certain circumstances. Malfoy also gained back the color in his skin and liveliness in his voice, although this meant that the arrogant facade and tone of superiority was also back.

Surprisingly, Harry considered this a win on his behalf. All he wanted was for things to go back to normal. And they did, for the most part.

\---

During Herbology, Professor Sprout made them work with Alihosty leaves. A few American Ravenclaws were dared by Seamus to eat one of the leaves. The leaves caused uncontrollable laughter and Seamus was given detention as the students were sent to the infirmary so Madame Pomfrey could aide them until the effects wore off.

After Herbology Harry had Charms with the Hufflepuffs. In Charms they worked on taking notes of important wizards that created the five most commonly-used spells. They were then assigned to write an essay on one of the spells and its creator’s history. Harry ended up choosing Wingardium Leviosa.

Once class was dismissed, Harry spent his free period before lunch down by the lake. He would usually work on homework to get some out of the way so today he worked on his late Herbology essay on the curative properties of Dittany and how it can be used. 

“Harry?” 

Harry sat his quill down and looked up. His eyes met with Ginny’s.

“Hi Ginny.” He said.

“I know we’ve been putting it off, but I really need to speak with you.”

Uh oh. After the war, Harry and Ginny never really officially got back together. She had hinted for it a few times at the burrow but Harry acted oblivious to these attempts at getting back with him. He supposes that every time he looked at her, images of the war and the fear that he had come rushing back. He just wanted to remain friends.

“Come on Harry! You can’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about! Come on. We’re taking a walk.” She said, pulling on his arm. He sat down his stuff and followed her.

They walked in silence for a few minutes and Harry found himself enjoying the sun and view of the lake. “Harry.” Ginny started. “I know it’s hard for all of us after the war, but it’s about time that we start getting back to our normal lives. I like you, Harry. And I know that you like me too! I just don’t understand why it’s so hard to get back together and be happy again!”

“Ginny, It’s not that simple-”

“Yes it is! You deserve to be happy so why are you keeping yourself from that?” They both paused and faced each other.

“I need to figure out other priorities! What do I want to do after school? Where will I go? Who will support me?” Ginny blinked and he eyes went glassy.

“Me! I can be your biggest supporter! You can stay at the burrow with me and our family will be happy again!”

“Ginny! You don’t get it do you-”

Suddenly Ginny’s lips were on his. What? He pushed her back forcefully and took a step back. “No! I don’t want to be with you! I see you as a sister and nothing but a sister and I don’t understand what’s not getting through that thick skull of yours!” The area around him was silent, which only accentuated how loud he was yelling. He started to turn around and run. Just behind him, Parkinson, Zabini, and Malfoy sat under a large, shaded tree. He didn’t have time to deal with their snickering. He needed to leave.

As he entered the castle, he heard Ginny’s sobs and saw her kneeling in the same place where they had talked. A few seventh year Gryffindor girls ran over to her and shot him a glare from where they were standing.  
Harry ran back to the Gryffindor tower, careful not to run into Ron. This was going to be a long year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for Chapter 3! <3


	3. The Eighth-year Slytherins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Before you read this chapter, I wanted to apologize for making you guys wait so long for this chapter. I've been so busy with school starting and some pretty serious family issues. But don't worry, I'm fine. I also had some technical difficulties with publishing this chapter. I'm still new here and trying to figure things out, but so far everything is going great.
> 
> I also wanted to think you guys for all of the kudos and comments! They really do mean a lot.
> 
> Anyways, i hope i'm not taking things too slow with this story and i also hope you enjoy this chapter!!! <3333

The stress that was caving in on Harry’s mind was unbearable. Not only did he have to avoid Ginny and all of her friends, but he also had to avoid Ron. If Ron found out about his little hiccup with Ginny earlier that day, he’d be hexed into next week.

Harry had successfully avoided Ron for the rest of the day. That also meant that he had to avoid everyone else too. During potions, Harry had sat in the back alone. A few times he noticed Hermione or Neville looking, but other than that they understood that Harry just wanted to be left alone.

For lunch and Dinner, he had ventured to the kitchen in order to get food from the house elves. Kreacher greeted him and fixed his favorite meal. He was also given a plate of treacle tart, his favorite.

Harry went back to the common room after dinner to continue working on his Herbology essay, but he couldn’t remember where he had set his bag. Not only did it have all of his homework in it, but it also had his cloak in it, and he’d rather not deal with the consequences of letting the wrong person get a hold of it.

It was probably upstairs in the boys’ dormitory. But Harry couldn’t go up there. If Ron found out what he said to Ginny, he would probably beat Harry to a bloody pulp as soon as he walked in the room. Maybe Ron hadn’t found out yet. He did, after all, let Harry be alone during the second half of the day.

Conjuring every last ounce of courage he had in his system, he trudged up the stairs. 

The first thing he noticed was that the curtains on Ron’s bed were drawn. He must be studying. Harry also noticed that his bag was not anywhere in sight. Maybe he left it in his trunk, which just happened to be by Ron’s bed. 

Harry tip-toed over to the edge of his trunk. If he could just quietly open it and-

“Harry!” Oh no.

He ran.

A stinging hex hit his back the moment he reached the door, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

“How dare you!” Ron screamed as he slammed the door. “I would have thought you’d be the one telling me about your breakup! Ginny hasn’t stopped bawling since lunch!”

“Ron, we never got back together and I just cleared things up. Please don’t hex me again. That really hurt.” Harry said with a pained expression.

“Cleared things up?! Ginny was right. You are bloody mental!” Ron Yelled and charged at him. Seamus grabbed his arms and held him back as Harry ran out the door.

It slammed behind him, leaving him sitting there against it. So much for finding his bag.

Harry ended up sleeping on one of the couches in the common room that night.

\---

Harry opened his eyes to Hermione in front of him, shaking his shoulder.

“Harry, it’s time to wake up.” She whispered, “I would stay here but I can’t be seen around you or else Ron will murder me.”

“You too?”

“Well this is your fault. It’s none of my business but if you weren’t such a git to Ginny everything would be fine.”

“Sod off!” He whispered back and lightly shoved her away.

Breakfast was terrible too.

He got to his table later than everyone else and nobody said anything as he walked over to them. Although, when he sat down Ron stood up. 

“This tables full. You might want to find somewhere else to sit.” The smile on his face was disturbing. As he stood back up he saw Hermione mouth “Sorry.”

He stood in the middle of the Great Hall for a moment, contemplating his options. He could eat in the kitchens again, but the doors to the Great Hall were already closed and he didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to himself. He could also go eat with Luna. He glanced over to the table she usually sat at but it was filled with other students. Turns out she was sitting in his place at his table.

“Mr.Potter,” Harry turned around to see Headmistress McGonagall. “Are you having trouble finding a seat?”

“Erm, yea.” He lowered his head.

“May I make a suggestion?” Professor McGonagall stared at him with her eyebrows pushing at her forehead as Harry scanned the rest of the room. He supposed he could sit with the Hufflepuffs or maybe the fourth year Gryffindors. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Uh-” He swallowed his words.

“When I redesigned the Great Hall, I added these tables to encourage inter-house unity, and it seems that not many have ventured farther than dining with those already in their own house.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to suggest that you sit somewhere different or maybe even out of your comfort zone for breakfast.” She peered around the room. “And there is a slight possibility that your actions will motivate other students to do the same, despite their obvious differences.”

Harry had no intention of doing so, but the Headmistress seemed to think that this would be a good idea. Hermione had always encouraged him to at least be comfortable with conversing with those in other houses, but he always responded with the same thing, that if it wasn’t necessary before the war, then it isn’t necessary now.

“Mr. Potter?” Harry looked up at McGonagall. “I know this might be difficult, but the other students would like to start eating, and they cannot do so until you find a seat.”

“Yes, of course.”

McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder and started to lead him to the opposite side of the Great Hall. This wasn’t that big of a deal, so why was Harry freaking out?

They passed many tables that he thought wouldn’t be too difficult to dine at, but all of them were packed and there would be no room left for him. Where would McGonagall be leading him that was all the way over here?

Harry got his answer as they stopped in front of a table with just four people sitting at it. The four people that he had spent the past month avoiding and also the four people that made his early years at Hogwarts a living Hell.

The Slytherins.

They all looked up in unison to meet Harry’s eyes with confused expressions labeling their faces. McGonagall ushered him forwards and practically placed him down on the seat herself. And for a while, both sides of the table just stared at each other.

“Enjoy your meal, Mr. Potter.” Professor McGonagall left without another word.

In the middle of the group sat Pansy Parkinson, who wore her robes in the most revealing way one could. Her black lipstick matched her hair perfectly, as did the gothic pendant that wrapped around her neck. She was draped over Malfoy in an almost possessive way, but Malfoy didn’t seem to mind much. He sat there with an impassive expression similar to that he wore on the day of his hearing. Although he did look drastically different from back when Harry last saw him. Malfoy’s face seemed less pointy and his malnourished figure had filled out in all the right places. Zabini and Nott sat on either side of them, still looking the same with their tailored robes and snarky expression.

“Potter.” Parkinson nodded in an almost civil manner. 

After the war, neither party cared to disrupt the other’s well being, leaving them to ignore each other. Harry was surprised that she didn’t bother to ask why he was placed here in the first place. It was almost an unspoken understanding by all of them that Harry was unable to sit elsewhere.

Other students around the hall began to notice that Harry was no longer sitting with his fellow Gryffindors and instead sitting with the Slytherins. The tension increased and a hush fell over the room. Harry dared not to peek at the table which he was excluded from.

Just as things were becoming unbearable, Food appeared in front of them. To Harry’s relief, the busyness around them resumed and the only silent table was the one he was sitting at. 

Harry was the first to reach for the toast in front of him, and soon the four in front of him did the same. Still, nobody said a word.

They ate in silence. At one point, Harry wondered how Parkinson didn’t get black lipstick all over her food while she ate, but he soon realized he was staring awkwardly and continued to look down at his plate.

Painful moments passed, none of them feeling the need to break the harsh silence. It came to the point where Harry contemplated what this what have been like during sixth year, when petty school rivalry was the least of their concerns. He most likely would have gotten detention by now for hexing them or punching Malfoy.

Harry looked up to see Malfoy’s blank expression looking down at his plate. Harry hadn’t seen emotion paint his face since the war, but he figured it was only when he was near Malfoy. Neither of the boys acknowledged what happened during the hearing, they just kept their distance. Harry even thought that maybe the animosity was gone for good. And who knows, maybe it really was.

“Draco, darling, would you be so kind as to pass me the butter?” Parkinson batted her eyelashes at him in a helpless manner as Malfoy reached his long and skinny arm across the table to grab the butter dish. Harry looked up and met Malfoy’s eyes.

The eye contact was maintained by both of them. He supposed that it would be too awkward to just look away. He noticed that Malfoy’s eyes were a rich grey, and anyone who paid close attention would notice the small flecks of blue shimmering in his pupils. He also noticed that his eyelashes weren’t the same color of the almost white hair on his head. They had more of a gold shine to them but they also had-

“Thank you, Draco.” 

Malfoy turned to Parkinson as she placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek and returned to spreading butter on her toast.

“So Potter, are the rumors true?”

Harry looked up at Parkinson. Rumors? What rumors?

“What-” Zabini cut him off. “Is it true that the Weaselette dumped you?”

“What? I-”

“Is ‘What’ all you can say?” Parkinson snapped.

“No.” Harry didn’t bother explaining any further. It would only push them to pick on him more. The goal was the be civil, was it not?

“So you’re confirming that the girl Weasel did, in fact, dump you? Or are you saying that you’re still shagging the fiery ginger?”

“Would you just stop?” Harry started to feel slightly more irritated, but he knew that Professor McGonagall would be disappointed if he didn’t even make it ten minutes demonstrating “inter-house unity.”

“Were simply asking a question. We didn’t mean to scare The Chosen One.” Nott sneered as they all got quiet.

“I know what’s going on here.” Zabini looked at his friends and then back at Harry. “Potters too embarrassed to admit what really happened, aren’t you, Potter?”

“What would I admit to?”

“Maybe he was just too bent for the ginger.” Parkinson said.

“What? No! I-”

“Weasley catch you snogging another bloke? Huh Potty?”

“NO! I BROKE UP WITH HER! SHE WAS JUST TOO CLINGY TO ADMIT IT!”

The room went silent. Everyone just stared in his direction. Suddenly Harry felt too overwhelmed to me angry. Did everyone hear him?

Across the room, Ginny stood up from her table with her hands covering her face and quickly ran out of the doors. 

“I-” Harry whispered, “I didn’t mean to say that,”

He was just about to stand up and go after her when Parkinson interrupted. “Don’t go after her.” She said.

“What? Why?”

“Its obvious she needs space. The more you get involved the more drama will be created. If you really did mean it when you broke up with her, she’ll need some time with herself to think things through. I’m not speaking from experience, I’m speaking from a girls perspective. Sometimes you brainless zombies that call yourself men don’t understand what’s going on inside girls’ heads.”

The boys that surrounded Parkinson mirrored the same shocked and speechless expression that Harry was sure he was wearing in that moment. But Parkinson was right about one thing, guys really didn’t understand what girls were thinking. One moment they were teasing and provoking them, the next they were giving heart-to-heart advice about personal problems that didn’t even affect them in any way. Hermione did this too sometimes. Like when Ron and Lavender were an item, sometimes she would stop ignoring and agonizing ron and give him actual advice on how he should improve his relationship with Lavender.

“I- I guess you’re right.” Harry murmured just loud enough so that the four across from him could hear him.

“Heck yeah I am. I’m never wrong.” Pansy shot him a smug and arrogant expression as she continued to fiddle with her breakfast.

The tension between him and Parkinson seemed to be gone. She wasn’t as bad as Harry had envisioned her to be, but that didn’t mean he wanted to be her friend or anything. She was still an arrogant psychopath that tried to sell him out to Voldemort.

Albeit things weren’t as awkward as the were in the beginning, there was still an unresolved tension with the boys across from him. Nott and Zabini seemed too involved with anything but Harry’s issues, and neither of them seemed intent on doing anything but ignoring him. Malfoy, though, hadn’t shown a lick of emotion since Harry sat down. He could tell that they were both thinking about the trial and how Harry had saved his ass, but neither of them made any notion towards it. Obviously Malfoy was grateful for Harry’s actions, but if the roles were reversed, would he really want to say anything about it?

The rest of the meal passed smoothly, neither party speaking to each other. Instead, they ate in a comfortable silence. At some points, Harry was sure that they could hear each and every one of his thoughts. How? He wasn’t sure. But even the voice in his head seemed to be screaming.

After what felt like hours, people started to slowly filter out of the Great Hall and to their next class. Harry was usually one of the last to leave after a meal, but today he was one of the firsts. He gave the group of Slytherins a civil nod and left without another word.

The hallway seemed to be drowned by whispers everytime Harry entered a new corridor. Most of them he couldn’t make out completely, but some were extremely obvious attempts to get his attention, like when a fifth year Ravenclaw made a loud point to his friend on how now he could make a move on that “smokin’ hot ginger” himself and now have to worry about Harry Potter getting in his way.

As he was almost to History of Magic, he remembered how he’d have to walk in empty-handed. Not only did he not have his bag, but he also had no idea where it was. He was sure that it was currently in his truck back in Gryffindor tower, but he’d be unable to retrieve it until he knew that Ron or the other Gryffindors were nowhere to be seen.

The day already felt too long.

\---

Things only got worse after his Second class.

Harry was on his way to the kitchens to each lunch alone when he caught a glimpse of Parkinson and her tribe. He thought he had lost them when he was suddenly cornered by the evil group.

“Potter.” Parkinson said, looking unbothered by the situation.

“What do you want?” He asked quickly.

“Care to join us for lunch?”

What? After earlier that day, why would they want to sit with him again? “No,” Harry said, “I really don’t.”

“But didn’t you hear the headmistress’ speech about ‘inter-house unity?’”

Something about her words just didn’t add up. Why would Pansy Parkinson, the most cunning and sly Slytherin, care about a stupid speech that no one took seriously?

“Come on, what’s the real sneaky, slimy, Slytherin-y reason you want me to sit with you?”

Parkinson sighed as the boys around her said nothing. “Fine. McGonagall said that if we showed more civility towards students from other houses, then we can get out our months worth of detention. So, what do you say?”

Harry resisted the urge to giggle. “If it could be anyone from any house, why are you asking me?”

She took a step closer to Harry. “Name a better person than Harry Potter, The Chosen one, The Defeater of all Evil.”

Harry backed up against the wall further until the uneven stone was digging into his shoulder blade. “No. Absolutely not. Why would I do that if there’s nothing in it for me?”

“I think there is.”

Harry’s wide eyes met her narrowed ones. “We could teach you to be more careful.” If Parkinson stepped any closer to him, she’d practically be hugging him. “Wouldn’t want you to leave your bag somewhere where the wrong person could get a hold of something that they shouldn’t.”

That bitch. “Hey! You took my bag!”

“We did not. You should be thanking us right now. We saved your ass. Anyone could have come by and taken your precious little bag if we didn’t get to it first.”

Harry stared at her as he could feel the color drain from his face. Parkinson lifted her hand and gave his cheek a light squeeze. “Nobody told me you were so cute when you get surprised.” She made a “hmph” noise and turned around. “Follow us, deary, you seem too incapable to find your way to our table alone.

And Harry followed them.

“Maybe once we get there you could tell us the story behind your shiny little blanket. The one that looks ancient and smells like shit. Seems interesting.” 

Harry nodded, half listening. He was too consumed in the suspicious glances he was getting from everyone by being seen with the group of notorious Slytherins. 

Shit.


End file.
